Japan will try to reinstate Antarctic "research" whaling at upcoming IWC meeting
SEAFOODNEWS.COM [SBS] By Anthony Fensom - August 27, 2014 -
Japan’s Antarctic whaling program was ruled illegal in March by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), yet Tokyo is pushing for a return. With another showdown looming at September’s International Whaling Commission (IWC) meet, is it déjà vu all over again for Japanese whaling watchers?
Japan’s Fisheries Minister, Yoshimasa Hayashi, said in April that the government would submit a new Antarctic research program to the IWC in line with the court’s decision, with “hunting plans” for 2015-16.
Meanwhile, Japan’s research program in the north-western Pacific would continue “by reducing its scale…in view of the verdict,” he said.
“In line with international law and scientific principles, our nation will carry out research whaling to get the scientific information essential to manage whales as a resource…We will stick to a basic plan that aims at a resumption of commercial whaling,” Hayashi was quoted saying by Reuters.
The announcement followed a Diet resolution demanding the Abe government continue to support Japanese whaling.
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